Periscope.



Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

C. H. BEDEL..

PEmscoPE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12| 19H5. RENEWED FEB. 27| 19.18.

UNITED STATES PATENT ounron.

CHARLES H. BEDELL, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

PERISCOPE.

Application filed Apri1 12, 1916, Serial No. 90,553.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. Banani., a citizen of the United States, (whose residence and post-office address is New London, county of New London, State of Connecticut,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Periscopes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to periscopes, and particularly to periscopes for submarine boats. Periscopes asv now constructed for submarine boats embody a hermetically sealed tube projecting to the desired distance yabove the vessel and having at or near its upper end an objective for receiving the image to be viewed, and at its lower end within the hull of the boat a suitable eyepiece through which the image may be observed by means of interposed refiectors at the objectivev and the eye-piece.

It isessential to the satisfactory use of a periscope that the periscope tube lcontain dry air or other `gas and be hermetically sealed against the admission of moisture, as otherwise the lowering of the temperature, such for instance as produced by the submergence of the periscope into the water colder than the air will cause the contained moisture to condense on the surfaces of the lensesl and otheroptical-members of the system and obscure the image so that accurate observation is impossible.

It is also desirable to arrange in the lens system of the periscope certain shiftable elements whereby the magnifying power of the periscope may be altered to permit either an observation of wide extent or a magniied view of a smaller extent."

The use of such vshiftable elements has heretofore resulted in a serious diliiculty by reason of the fact that the adjustmentwas effected by the manipulation of a part mounted for movement in the wall of the periscope tube to permit the adjusting to be done by theobserver at the eye-piece. Notwithstanding the accuracy and care with which such devices have been made, it has been found impossible to make the mounting of the movable part absolutely air-tight so as to preserve the seal of the periscope,

and in time the air within the periscope be- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Renewed February 27, 1918. Serial No. 219,501.

comes saturated with moisture, dimming the optical elements as above described.

The object of my invention is to provide a bi-focal periscope embodying shiftable elements within the periscope tube and operatable from a point without the tube, but designed so as to avoid the use of a part movably mounted in the wall of the tube whereby entrance of moisture to the tube is entirely prevented.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bi-focal periscope in which the adjustable optical elements may be operated by power from the compressed air line of the vessel.

A further object of the invention is to generally improve the construction of bifocal periscopes, as will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 shows in longitudinal vertical lsection the upper portion of the periscope and also a portion of the periscope tube adjacent the eye-piece and carrying the control deviceY for causing the movement of the shiftable carrier;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the pat of the'periscope on line 2-'2 of Fig. 1; an

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the periscope tube having the lateral opening 2 closed by the objective glass 3 which may have either plane surfaces as shown or curved surfaces to constitute one of the lenses of the system. Back of the glass 3 and fixedly supported on the'periscope is a prismatic reflector 4, the same being supported 'between a pair of spaced standards 5 whose base is carried by avtransverse web of the periscope tube.

Set in' the rear edges of the standards 5 with their centers corresponding with the horizontal middle line of the reiecting surface of the reflector 4, are two stub-shafts 6 on each of which is mounted a pinion 7 rigidly attached to the hubs of swinging bracket arms 8 which support the integrally attached lens-bracket 9. The lens-bracket 9 comprises a lens supporting web connecting theouter ends of -the arms 8 and anarm 10 projecting from the web and curved to be substantially concentric with the axis of rotation ofthe bracket-arms. The arm 10 carries at its end a second lens, the two lenses being substantially 90 apart, whereby in one position of adjustment as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, both lenses are out of the path of the rays through the objective and through the reflecting prism, and in the other position of adjustment one of the lenses is positioned between the objective and the prism and the otherv lies below the prism in the path of the reflected rays.

Forractuating the pinions 7 there is provided for each pinion a sector-shaped rack 11 having internal teeth, the said racks being mounted on stub-shafts 12 set in the standards 5 in front of the shafts 6. |lhe standards 5 are extended above the prism 4 and are connected by an upper bridge 13 on which is supported a stack of three conlnected expansible vessels 14, the upper one of which carries a cross-head 15 to which is attached rod 16 connected by suitable operating links 17 with pins 18 set in the outer faces of the sectors 11. Each vessel 114 is formed of two elastic metal diaphragme clamped together with their concave faces adjacent. The adjacent vessels are connectby a valve 23 Awith the air line of thevessel.

The valve 23 is a two-way cock adapted in 'one position to connect the pipe with the air line and in the other position t0 close the air line and connect the pipe 22 with the exhaust opening in the face of the valve.

The movement .of the lens-carrier in the direction opposite to that eifected by the admission of compressedl air to the vessel 14 is accomplished by means of tension springs 2e arranged between the ends of the rod 16 and fixed pins set in the inner wall of the periscope tube.

The operation of the device will be obvious from the 'above description. When it is' desired to u se the periscope with the addi- -tional lenses in the system, the cock 23 is adjusted to connect the pipe 22 with its exhaust opening whereby Vthe pull of the springs 2e will collapse the vessels 14 and turn the lens carrying bracket in a counterclockwise direction to shift the lenses from the position shown in full lines to the dotted line position. When it is desired to make observations without the additional lenses ofk the system the valve is turned to connect thevalve 22 to the airline of the boat thereby expanding the vessels 14C and raising the sectors 11 to rotate the lens-carrier back to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, in which position the lenses are maintained by the engagement of the forward edge of the lens carrier with a stop formed on the web at the top of the standards 5. The opposite position of adjustment of the lenses is fixed by the engagement of the shoulders 25 of the lens carrier with the standards.

lt-will be observed that all connections in the air line are between relatively xed parts whereby the shifting mechanism may be absolutely sealed against loss of air and the air or other gas in the periscope may be indenitely maintained free from moisture. The pneumatic operating mechanism is particularly desirable for the reason that it shifts the carrier without shock or jar against its stops and also cushions the action of the spring on the return movement by reason of the small exhaust opening -in the valve 23.

I claim:

1. In a periscope the combination of a periscope tube, an optical system in said tube comprising optical elements"y movably mounted for adjustment into and out of operative position in said system, a liuid pressure operated device in said tube for shifting said elements, and means for controllingv said device from without said tube comprising a connection between said control and said pressure operated device having xed connection with the wall of said tube.A

2. ln a periscope the combination of a periscope tube, an optical system in said tube comprising movably mounted elements for adjustment into and out of position in said system, an rexpansible fluid motor for operating said shiftable elements, and means for delivering motive fluid to said motor comprising a pipe having an air-tight passage through the wall of said tube.

3. In a periscope the combination of a periscope tube, an optical system in said tube comprising movably mounted elements for adjustment into and out of position in said system, an expansible fluid motor for operating said shiftable elements ixedly connected to each other and having relatively movable portions whereby the escape of motive fluid into the periscope tube is prevented, and means for delivering motive fluid to and from said motor comprising a pipe having an air-tight passage through the wall of said tube. Y

4t. lna periscope the combination of a periscope tube, anr optical system comprising Y operating said cross head, said motor comprising a plurality of expansible vessels having eXible Walls, andmeans for delivering motive power to said vessels comprising a pipe passing through the wall of said tube having air-tight connection therewith.

5. In a periscope the combination of a tube, an optical system therein embodying the pivotally mounted lens carrier adapted to be adjusted to shift its lenses into and out of operative position in said system, a fixed stop for positioning said lens carrier in its operative position, a spring for holding said carrier against said stop and means for shifting said carrier away from said stop consisting of an expansible fluid motor ixedly supported in said tube adjacent said lens carrier and having its movable element operatively connected thereto, and means operatable from without said tube for controlling the admission of motive uid to said motor and the exhaust thereof from said motor.

6. In a periscope the combination of a periscope tube adapted to be hermetically sealed, a shiftable member in said tube and means for effecting the operation of said member from without said tube comprising an eXpansible vessel having one wall xed and its opposite wall operatively connected to the part to be shifted, and means for delivering motive fluid to and Jfrom said vessel comprising a pipe connecting with the interior of said vessel at its fixed point, the opposite end of said pipe passing through the wall of said tube and having air-tight connection therewith.

7 In a periscope the combination of a periscope tube adapted to be hermetically sealed, a shiftable member in said tube, means for eiecting the operation of said member from without said tube comprising an expansible vessel having one wall xed and its opposite wall operatively connected tothe part to be shifted, and means for delivering motive fluid to and from said vessel comprising a pipe connecting with the interior of said vessel at its fixed point, the op-y posite end of said pipe passing through the wall of said tube and having air-tight connection therewith, a spring for shifting said part in a direction opposite to the direction of movement effected by the expansion of said vessel and a valve in said pipe outside of said tube having passages for connecting said vessel to said motive fluid supply or to an exhaust port without the periscope tube.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature.

CHARLES H. BEDELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

